One spring day in 1971, Gualala native Don Halloway directed my gaze from the window of his small cabin through beautiful redwoods and down to the sparkling ocean. He was referring to 28 acres between Gualala and Anchor Bay, soon to be known as Saint Orres, and for sale for, what was then, a princely sum. Ignorance being the better part of valor and with a certain innocence of financial matters three old friends originally from Mill Valley, Eric Black, Robert Anderson, and Richey Wasserman, formed a partnership and the purchase was made. Homes were sold, debts were called in, families were moved into the existing funky cabins, and a dream was begun. Originally called the Seaside Hotel and built in 1929 by Sid Johnson, the hotel had a general store where the dining room is now located. There were gas pumps in front, as the original highway passed just a few feet to the west of the hotel. Upstairs were 10 rooms, mostly used by loggers in the summer, and fisherman in the winter months. The dining room was in the present day lobby, with the kitchen in the back. Five small cabins were scattered around a meadow behind the hotel. Framed conventionally with redwood 2x4s, siding and t&g interior paneling, the partners partially dismantled then rebuilt the structure. A century-old mill in Philo was carefully taken apart for the 10”x10” timber framework, some of which were 44 feet long, then hauled to the coast on an old logging truck. After five years of hard labor, artful scrounging, and desperate fundraising, the restaurant opened in January, 1977. And so began the story of St. Orres Inn. Many local artists and crafters assisted in giving Saint Orres its quality and unusual hand-built appearance. Prior to his career as an architect Michel Wike did much of the early landscaping. Famous carver and painter Tom Rude lent his hand. Ed Hurley created lamps and other lighting fixtures. Donna Bishop and Anne Kessler sewed quilts for the beds in the hotel rooms and cabins. Annapolis resident Doug Simmonds assisted the late Samm Hawley in the design and execution of all the leaded glass windows. Heidi Endemann has contributed her incredible prints and exotic paintings from the beginning. These contributions transformed a stunning but empty structure into a vibrant work of art. As early history, the property was homesteaded in the 1830’s by George St. Ores whose family had immigrated from Russia via Canada. He built and designed many of the “dog hole schooner” loading appar